


Love and Hate are Similar

by Shippingtheswann



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Actors AU, Costars, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Lovers, Everyone Has Issues, F/M, HEA, Happily Ever After, I don't get these tags, I need help, Kylo Ren Has Issues, Kylo is Ben, Kylo is not really a jerk, Living Together, My First Work in This Fandom, Not Beta Read, Original Character - Freeform, POV Rey (Star Wars), Rey has issues, Rey's a new actress, Romantic interests, Slow Burn, Star Wars AU, There is a soundtrack, Training, i wanna dance with somebody, kylo is an actor, movie stars au, there will be smut later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:20:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22567711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shippingtheswann/pseuds/Shippingtheswann
Summary: Actor/Actress AU: Rey and Kylo Ren are forced to spend two weeks together to show the studio that they are the perfect people for the roles in the upcoming new series that is said to be the best in years. Two weeks together to prove that they can do more than just hate each other. What happens when the two weeks become something more. I suck at summaries, so I am sorry.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 13
Kudos: 45





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone, welcome to my first story in this fandom. I've done ONCE FF for Captain Swan and this is my first dabble outside of that fandom. This story hasn't been BETA read, so if there are any issues, it's all on me. I hope you all like it. I plan on posting a chapter a week. I have the whole thing planned out, I just need to write it. I suck at summaries, so I am sorry if I didn't do this justice. I hope you all like this!

“I have never heard of a studio doing this,” Rose asked from Rey’s closet, clothes flying out, landing in a messy pile in her suitcase. 

“That’s because they don’t,” Rey responded, carrying her toiletries from her bathroom. 

Her studio apartment was a mess. Situated in West Hollywood, Rey had signed the lease on the apartment just four months earlier, when she finally made the move out of her friend’s house. And while there were no views from her apartment, and it took forever to drive to the beach or to the airport, she loved the feeling of WEHO. Pretty much everyone in her complex were actors or actresses trying to make it big. Brunch was something of a religion and the night life was amazing. 

“So explain it to me again,” her best friend asked as Rey plopped down to fold the clothes that had been deemed appropriate.

Picking up the sweater that she hadn’t needed in LA, but would undoubtedly need in the Pacific Northwest, Rey sighed and began to tell Rose the story she had told her already. It wasn’t that Rose wasn’t paying attention, it was just that Rose didn’t understand why Galactic Studios would make such a request; and truthfully, Rey didn’t quite understand it either. 

Rey had always known that she wanted to be an actress. It all started in middle school, during another move. The school was hosting auditions for the spring musical and Rey’s foster mother thought it would help Rey transition to her new life. On opening night of  _ The Music Man Junior,  _ Rey knew that acting was what she was meant to do. Sure, she loved singing and dancing, but it was the acting that brought joy to her heart. She had one line  _ Trouble you say? _ but she committed to it - making up a backstory for her character - townsperson #3 - and fully investing in each and every rehearsal. She learned literally all the lines, even though she knew there was no chance in hell that she wouldn’t ever need to know every line. Since that day, Rey had participated in every single musical, play, one-act, and local theater program she could. She begged her parents for dance classes instead of regular teenage gifts and watched the greatest movies and plays she could find on YouTube. She was able to deliver a monologue at the drop of the hat, and had been able to cry on cue for the past decade. 

She had chosen a college in LA for the sole purpose of being able to go to auditions and breathe in the life she wanted. She graduated in May with a degree in Computer Sciences - thanks to the pressure from her parents. But, at least it allowed her to work from home and gave her the time she needed to attend auditions. She had saved and saved from the time she could work in order to pay for an agent. 

She had met Rose her freshman year, and not only did she get a best friend out of their destined meeting during their orientation; but she got an agent. Rose’s older sister Paige had dated Poe a few years earlier and put her in contact with one of Hollowood’s best agents. She didn’t officially sign on to Resistance Talent until the day after graduation; but Poe had been there for her for three years, prepping her for the life she, and he, knew was waiting for her. 

“Ok, so Poe got me an audition with Galactic the day after our graduation. He called his graduation gift to me,” Rey began, Rose nodding along, remembering Poe’s frantic call during their graduation, making sure that Rey would be ready the next morning. There were 18 missed calls by the time the procession had ended and Rey was finally able to call him back on the Uber ride to the restaurant where her family was throwing her a party.

“Well, I was up for this role with probably two thousand other women. I literally ran into the audition because my Uber was stuck in traffic. I thought I blew the thing - my hair wasn’t done, my makeup was plain, and I am pretty sure that a casting assistant saw me smell my armpits as I ran into the building. But, I got a call back. I kept getting called back. Once a month or so, they kept calling me back to test out whatever they wanted to see,” Rey’s hands were flying with her retelling. She had always been very animated when talking about acting. Rose couldn’t help but giggle as Rey became more and more energetic. Normally, Rey wasn’t an emotional person, hiding her feelings well. It still surprised Rose after four years, just how different Rey was when she talked about her passion.

“Ok, still doesn’t really explain why they would want to do this,” Rose said, gesturing to the mess they had made. 

“Well, the studio had narrowed the main leads down to three women. Poe said they already knew who they were going with for the male lead, but they didn’t want to release the name and there was still some discussions about their contract. They wanted to see how we would all interact with each other - so about a week ago, they called us all in for screen test,” it wasn’t hard to picture herself back in the small office at the casting studio, her hands sweating, her lips somewhat bleeding, and her cuticles in horrible pain. 

“So I arrived early - cause I was drilled to be early for everything, I mean you know what my dad used to say,” Rose nodded, as Rey quoted her father’s military motto about being on time at least once a week, “and I killed my monologue. I mean I killed it. I cried in all the right places, I paused at the best parts. It was seriously the best audition I've ever given. Afterwards, the directors and producers took a break and told me to wait back in the sitting room, as the dual audition would happen when their lead arrived.”

She looked down at the pile of clothes in front of her that were now perfectly folded and ready to be put into her brand new luggage. It was a silly gift, luggage, but her parents got the set as a way of reminding Rey of all the travel she would be doing once she landed the roles she had always dreamed of. Yes, they pushed her to get an  _ actual _ degree, but they also supported her dreams. There were sweaters with tags still on, thicker leggings and leg warmers; warm clothes that she hadn’t ever needed, but that her grandmother insisted on buying her. Growing up in the deserts of the Southwest didn’t really require winter clothing, but her grandmother was all about being prepared. 

“There were no other actresses there though. So, I thought that maybe that was a good sign. My audition was at 2 and it lasted maybe 25 minutes. I thought that the male lead would be in soon after that, but I sat there for a fucking hour. They left an assistant with me, some guy named Beau who wouldn’t talk to me and kept his attention on his phone. I was freaking out; I had just killed that audition and I wanted to jump right into the next scene. I mean it was supposed to be an emotional scene and I wanted to use the energy I had built up. Plus, I was riding a high thinking that since I was alone in the waiting room, that I was really the final choice and that I had it. Yet, I had to sit there waiting on this asshat to show up. Said asshat shows up an hour after I ended my monologue and just fucking sauntered into the room, nodded and Beau and just walked into the screening room like he wasn’t just wasting everyone’s time. And the worst part was who the asshat was,” she was fuming, remembering the moment she saw who she was going to have to screen test with.

“Kylo Ren,” Rose answered. 

“Kylo Fucking douchecanoe asshat Ren,” Rey hissed. 

The man was a monster, a well known monster. He had come onto the scene a few years before Rey had made the move to LA. He had been immediately successful thanks to First Order Talent. The organization was run by a man named Snoke, no first name, no last name, just Snoke. He ran the organization like it was a fucking cult though - at least that is what Rey was told by Paige. Kylo’s first role had been in an action blockbuster that almost broke a billion at the box offices. SInce then, he had been pretty much handed every single opportunity out there, even though his reputation for being hard to work with was infamous. He had thrown a temper tantrum on one set that they had to replace some of the props he was working with because they destroyed them. 

Sure, he was good looking, maybe not in the conventional way that a majority of Hollywood would think, but Rey saw the appeal. He wasn’t a Brad Pitt or George Cloony, but he had his own swagger that did make him a bit handsome. She could admit that. He was tall, broad shouldered and in decent shape if you believed the last movie he was in. Rey hadn’t seen it. Action movies were not her thing, but she heard the rumors and saw some of the pictures that circulated on the internet. He wasn’t your traditional teenage heartthrob, but Rey could see why the studios wanted him for more than his acting. 

And he was a good actor. 

But out of all the actors on the planet, she had to screen test with him? He was the one actor she really didn’t want to work with. 

“Well, fuckface walked right into the room and I was hanging out in the waiting room, like oh I don’t know, but it was embarrassing. Beau had to come back out and ask me to come in. And of course everyone is looking at me like I am the one holding everyone up, not Snoke’s golden boy. One of them even sneered at me,” Rey mimicked the face that the snooty blonde producer gave her. 

“Bitch.”

“Right? So I walked up to Ren, thinking maybe I should just introduce myself quickly before we get started, cause a few of the producers and people were still up getting coffee, and he literally just huffed at me. He didn’t reply, didn’t shake my hand, didn’t really acknowledge my presence. He just looked at the director and asked,  _ Shall We? _ . Like what a pretentious thing to say? Shall we? What are we, in fucking 1813? What are we in, like fucking Pride and Predjucie? It was really just the way he said it too - like with this air of being the fucking prince of the world - like how dare they keep him waiting, that he had more important things to do.” the hatred dripping out of Rey’s voice was palpable. She had never been more insulted in her life. The man hadn’t even known her and he treated her like shit. Sure, it had happened to her before - like the time she took a random shift at the bar their friend Kaydel worked at or when she was walking down Sunset after getting her weekly Starbucks - but it had never happened during an audition. And sure, she had never been on an actual real Hollywood audition, but that wasn’t the point. 

“Alright, so he was a jackass,” Rose’s addition brought her out of the hatred induced fog.

“Understatement of the year. Well, the director just waved at him. He turned to me and launched right into his lines. He didn’t even take a moment to tell me where he was going with the scene. I can’t tell you what the scene is about due to you know, Hollywood secrets and what not, but there were a few ways to interpret it. So, unless he had been told something about his character and I hadn’t, he was taking the scene in the opposite direction of where I thought it would go. It took me a moment, but at least I am fucking badass and Poe has trained me for this, so I was able to dive right back into the scene. But, the scene was more anger than passion, which was what the director and producers wanted to see,” she cracked her knuckles, remembering the tension that filled the room as they started to end their scene. Poe had told her multiple times that passion was something the studio was worried about with her. He said they tailored this last audition to that, wanting to see her finally give into the emotion.

“Isn’t anger and passion pretty similar in terms of emotional response? That’s what people say, right? That love and hate are more similar than people think, in terms of brain response?” Rose questioned, finally closing the suitcase. She was pretty low maintenance, so everything she needed for two weeks fit pretty well into the case.

“I guess, at least that is what the studio is saying, which is why they are making the request,” Rey said, checking her purse to make sure that she had everything she needed, “Two weeks alone, in a cabin, in Washington, with Kylo Ren. They think that if we spend time together, that something will change and they will be able to have the two leads they want.”

“And Poe said OK?” 

“He really didn’t have a choice, not if I wanted this part; which I desperately do. This show is slated to be the next Game of Thrones. It has everything I told Poe I wanted in a part. A female character who was strong, yet a bit fragile; someone who wasn’t afraid to show what scared her or broke her, but also knew how to conquer it. I wanted a character that spoke to the audience, who the audience could relate to. I wanted a well written woman who was a badass in her own right. I wanted my own Daenerys - you know without the whole going mad thing,” she laughed.

“And this character is that?” the skeptical look on Rose’s face wasn’t unwarranted. It had only been recently that women characters were beginning to be written well.

“One of the writing team is Amilyn Holdo; and if anyone is going to write a great female lead, it’s going to be her. She changed the way studios look at women in power. Without her, we wouldn’t have had some of the best kick ass women characters. I told Poe after the audition, that even though I didn’t think I would get it, that I wanted this part more than anything. So, when they came to him with their offer, he took it,” she explained. 

“Do you really think that you will be able to get along with Kylo Ren, for two weeks, in the middle of nowhere? What happens if you all can’t get along? What happens if you end up murdering each other?” Rose picked up her phone, which Rey was pretty sure was being used to look up prision terms for murder.

“It’s two weeks, it can’t be harder than living with our freshman roommates. I mean, compared to  _ Captain Phasma _ ,” Rey used finger quotes to remind Rose how her freshamn roommate who was in ROTC demanded Rey use her rank when they spoke to each other, even though Rey wanted to tell her that Captain in the fucking ROTC was nothing, it was like asking to be saulted as a third class, on top of knowing that there were no Freshman captains in the ROTC, but she continued to let Phasma believe she didn’t know anything - she called it practice, “how hard could it be? It’s not like they are forcing us to actually room together or spend every waking moment together. The only requirement they’ve given us is that we have to train for two hours a day with a choreographer they are sending in to get us ready for our first fight scene. That’s it. I am sure it will be fine, it has to be. The studio said that if we can’t prove to them that we have more chemistry than just anger, that neither of us will get the part.”

“Damn, even though they probably really want Ren on the project,” her friend made a point, but Poe had already eased Rey’s fear that they would keep him over her in the end.

“Poe said that he highly doubts they would keep only one of us. He said that they wanted what we looked like - something about the directors expressed vision of the story. Snoke was in the meeting with him and was furious that they gave that ultimatum,” Rey said.

“I’m sure he wasn’t, the guy has an even bigger temper than Ren,” Rose countered.

“The studio made it clear to them both, that it was going to be either both of us or neither of us. Poe said Snoke tried to threaten them, saying that no one from the First Order would ever work with The Galactic Empire again - but Holdo told him to sit down and shut up - that if Kylo Ren ever wanted to work on any project that her production team or writing team was a part of, then he would make sure that Kylo went on this trip and understood that it was going to be both of us or neither of us. So, they hashed out the specifics and I got a call this morning,” she glanced at the clock on her microwave. 

10:30. Her flight didn’t leave until 2 - but she knew if they wanted to make it to LAX on time, they would have to leave pretty soon. Again, she could hear her father’s voice in her head -  _ Rey, if you arrive early, you are on time; if you arrive on time, you are late, and if you are late, you never showed up _ . He was a stickler for being on time, which meant, being to the airport at least 2 hours before your flight, even if you were flying first class and domestic. 

“Alright, then take the next two weeks to focus on the part. They are sending you a script right?” Rose asked.

“Yeah, they said our scripts would be delivered tomorrow. It was part of the contract Snoke and Poe come to an agreement on. Among many other details that Poe said took four hours to hash out, was that we had to have access to at least the first episode’s script in order to actually use the time for some good.”

“Ok, so just focus on that. Read the shit out of it and make them want to keep you, no matter what. Take some hikes - I’ve been told that the hiking up there is amazing. Read a book or catch up on trashy TV,” Rose’s hand reached across the table that they had moved to, giving Rey’s a small squeeze,” And call me if you need to hide a body - it says I would only get maybe 20 years, and I’m willing to do 20 for you.”

* * *

The ride to the airport was slow, but Rey made it with about an hour and a half to get her bag checked and through the lovely TSA screening. She had never flown first class before, but she found the perks to be well worth it. She didn’t have to wait in the large line to check her bag. She was escorted by a gate agent through security - but Rey was pretty sure that it didn’t have anything to do with her first class ticket. She was pretty sure Galactic made a call to make sure they were taken well care of - or Snoke and Poe made it part of the contract. The agent led her past the newsstands and food - the smell of Starbucks and pretzels making her mouth water. She was led to a special waiting lounge. 

“When your flight is boarding someone will escort you to the gate,” the agent said, her name tag reading Emilia. 

“Thank you Emilia,” Rey said politely.

The space was luxurious. Probably had everything that the first class lounge did, but without the prying eyes of the public eye or anyone who could splurge for first class tickets. She had always wondered where celebrities waited for their flights if they weren’t taking a PJ - using the term she had learned from one of those trashy TV shows Rose was teasing her about earlier. A private jet is the one thing she said she would never take, no matter how famous she became. She was too environmentally conscious to do that. She preferred to walk everywhere or take public transportation, so if she had to fly somewhere, a regular airline would have to do. 

The room, while luxurious, was cozy. One wall held a TV with CNN already on. One wall was made completely of windows, showing Rey the airport’s tarmac and employees rushing around like ants. She loved people watching, so instead of taking out her Ipad and catching up on the new Science Fiction novel she had downloaded, she was going to watch everyone carry on with their lives. It was something she used to do with her friends in high school. As she walked over to the third wall that was lined with food, including fresh pretzels from the stand she had passed, memories came flashing back. 

She had a few good friends in high school. They weren’t close, not by traditional friend standards, but they were nice and Rey did enjoy hanging out with them when she had the time. They were in the theater program too and were always working on their skill - so Travis - the only guy in the group, came up with an exercise. One person would find someone wherever they were, and create a vague backstory about them. The rest of the group would have to spend the next 15 minutes improvising the person, expanding on the vague back story. Rey loved the game and always loved the challenge, and she found herself playing the game alone whenever she could. 

The baggage carrier that had loaded the United flight that was at the closest gate was a secret part time wrestler who also walked around as a vigilante so that they could practice their wrestling moves. The pilot she saw doing checks on the plane was secretly in love with the baggage carrier and that is why they were doing the actual checks, just so they could see their obsession. 

An hour must have passed, because before she knew it, Emilia had reappeared to take her to the flight. 

It was only then that Rey noticed that Kylo hadn’t shown up - or was late, again. She was now really worried that she wouldn't be able to make it through the weekend - because she could ignore a shitty attitude, she could deal with assholes, she could handle large egos - but tardiness was something she couldn’t deal with. It was the lowest form of disrespect she could think about. 

By the time her ticket had been scanned and Emilia had wished her a pleasant flight, Rey was fuming again. The same way she had when he had waltzed in late. She was seeing red, and she already knew she may snap at someone who didn’t deserve it. 

She was going to have Poe call the studio while she was in the air. She wasn’t going to go to this cabin if Kylo Ren couldn’t hold up his end of the bargain. But she was also scared about what it could mean. If he didn’t show up, if Snoke had decided that they didn’t care about Holdo’s threat, did that mean that she hadn’t gotten the part?

Granted Poe didn’t say specifically that they would be on the same flight, she had just assumed when he said there would be a car waiting for them when they arrived. A Tesla, at his request. He knew Rey’s preferences and what she would demand in certain situations. She knew it seemed silly to be demanding such a thing, but she didn’t own a car for a reason, well two reasons when you counted how sick she gets in cars if she isn’t driving. She wanted to make sure they were driving the most conscious thing they could find. 

Maybe Kylo decided that she wasn’t worth it, that the part wasn’t worth it. I mean she couldn’t really blame him after what happened.

As she boarded the plane, before she could fish out her phone to text Poe, she noticed a person sitting in the front row, right next to the seat she was supposed to occupy. 

Kylo Ren, with a bruise on his face, barely visible after a week of healing.

“Nice of you to join us,” he sneered, placing his headphones over his ears and turning towards the window. 

* * *

Rey peeked at him from between her hair, that she had moved to block her vision from him. He looked like he was asleep, but she couldn’t be sure. His window had stayed closed during take off, which pissed her off almost as much as him suggesting that she was the late person. She always loved watching take off and landings - it was her favorite part of flying. Watching the ground change shape and texture, there was nothing like it. Hell, she had even thought about taking pilot lessons - just so she could get to see it more often. 

She hadn’t told Rose about her little outburst after their audition. She was embarrassed, but also a bit proud of herself. 

The scene had played out well, if they were playing mortal enemies, not potential lovers. The studio hadn’t flat out told her where the character was going, but she could gather that her character was supposed to be somewhat of an interest for his. But, she never thought to play her angry and pissed off. Sure, there was going to be some anger, after what her character found out, but it was supposed to be angry like he ate the last piece of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving without saving you any, even though he already had 2 pieces. Kylo had her playing the scene as if he was a monster who murdered his own father in cold blood for no reason at all. There was supposed to be a hint of redemption, a hint of regret; but Rey was so angry that she couldn't see him straight. 

When the scene ended, he walked out of the room and Rey stormed after him.

“What the hell was that?” she questioned, having to move fast to keep up with his long legs.

“That was acting, and from the look of things, you have potential - you just need a teacher,” he said, still walking towards the elevators, not bothering to even stop to have an actual conversation with her.

“How dare you, you self righteous ass,” she spat, reaching out to grab his arm. She deserved more than to be spoken to like that. “Do you have any idea how your behavior affects others? We were supposed to be auditioning together, yet you didn’t even give me the benefit of discussing the scene together first. I have never been around an actor so self-centered and egotistical.”

“No, you were auditioning, I already have it,” he smirked as he hit the buttons to call the elevator.

“Yeah right, if you get this part, it will only be because of me - I carried that scene. I gave it everything I have, and you gave it nothing,” Rey’s anger was swelling again. She had never been one to get this angry, but this man was just bringing out the worst in her. She couldn’t help it. Literally everything he did made her emotions go crazy.

“You? I find that hard to believe. Who are you? You are nobody. You come from nothing,” the bell pinged from the arriving car, and before Rey knew what she was doing, her fist was meeting Kylo Ren’s cheek.

She was stunned at the pain radiated in her hand. Her father had taught her how to fight when she was in high school and there was a boy who didn’t quite understand the word no. He did after she kicked him in the balls, but she still wanted to be able to defend herself. However, she wasn’t prepared for how hard she threw the punch. She was pretty sure her jaw was on the floor, surprised at her own outburst. 

Kylo’s face was anything but neutral. His hand was clasped against his cheek, his eyes inflamed. However, she couldn't really place what the rest of him was saying. It was almost as if he couldn't believe someone had actually done that. Before she could figure out what really happened or what he was feeling, she ran for the stairs and her escape.

He knew nothing about her, and yet he was treating her as if she was some scum on the bottom of his shoe. She wasn’t nothing, she had never been nothing. Right?

His accusations were something that she had struggled with for most of her life. Even since she was placed in the foster system, she constantly fought a battle with her own mind, which was telling herself that she wasn’t worth anyone’s time or love. That she was nothing. That she was never going to have anyone to love her or want her. Even after being adopted by the most caring parents ever and a huge family that was nothing but welcoming and accepting, she still felt that she wasn’t anything special and she never would be; no matter how big her dreams were. She still felt like the five year old who had been abandoned. She felt as if she was never good enough - and hearing Kylo Ren tell her she was nothing hurt, but at the same time, there was something in his voice that Rey connected to.

Looking back over at Kylo Ren, his hands resting on his lap, his long legs stretched out in front of his seat, she felt a bit bad about the punch she had thrown. She didn’t know anything about him and he didn’t know anything about her, which is what she had said to him. All she knew were things that she had heard from other people. And sure, he treated her like crap that day at the audition, but hell, her Uber had been caught in traditional LA traffic, so maybe he was late for the same reason. She had no room to judge if she didn’t want to be judged either. 

It was going to be a long fucking two weeks, but as she stared at Kylo, his beathing even and solid, his hair almost covering his eyes, she was determiend to break through whatever shit he had going on, and make sure that they both landed these parts; because she was going to be something. She wasn’t going to let anyone hold her back


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos and comments! I'm glad you all are liking the story. This chapter is going to be pretty similar to the first, a lot of exposition. Don't worry though, Chapter 3 will make everything better and should be uploaded by the end of this week. I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as the first! This chapter was also not Beta Read, all mistakes are my own.

The flight to Seattle was uneventful - three hours of easy flying. Rey passed the time by reading a couple of chapters of the newest book in her romance series. She was thankful for her iPad and the Kindle app that allowed her to tote around as many books as she wanted. She loved science fiction, but steamy romances allowed her to turn off her mind for a while and get lost in a simple story that didn’t take extra thinking to follow. Romance novels were like an old show you could watch in the background, something to comfort you or to just be there. Something you didn’t have to follow along with in order to enjoy it. However, her book wasn’t doing what it should have done.

She could have watched TV on the personal screen that was on the seat in front of her. But, she didn’t think she would find anything that she would want to watch. Her brain was still loud, still questioning, still running over every interaction she had with Kylo Ren. She went over everything she knew about him. She couldn’t place his anger and annoyance with her. 

What angered her the most is how much she had to rely on him to land the role she had dreamed of. She was mad that her life was going to be determined by the man. 

She had said that she was going to do whatever she had to do to make sure that they landed these roles, but how could she do that if Kylo Ren kept her at an arm’s length. He made no attempts at getting to know her, or even showed that he was interested in making this work. Her brain kept running in circles, trying to figure out how this was going to work. How could she get this beast of a man to let go of his ego and work with her? 

Talking was clearly out of the question - how could you talk to someone who kept their headphones on? Plus he was asleep, and you needed two people who were awake to have a conversation. Maybe she could talk to him later, but she had a feeling he was going to be ignoring her the moment the plane landed. 

Before she could come up with anything good - other than the slightest idea that annoying him would make him confront her - the plane was landing and the flight attendants were completing their rounds. She watched as Kylo stirred, his eyes opening a bit, but his headphones staying firmly on his ears. He looked around the cabin, his eyes darkening as he found her. Rey could have sworn she saw a slight smile in his eyes before the look of annoyance took its place. 

The best part about first class, minus the shorter wait at TSA and the service she had been given, was that she got to deplane first. On the handful of times she had flown in the past couple of years, she had always ended up at the very back of the plane - meaning it took her almost 20 minutes to get off the plane once it landed. Not that she minded, but it was obnoxious when people around her began to stir and grab their items when clearly, they were nowhere close to getting off the plane any time soon. 

“Ready?” she asked Kylo, as she stood up when the plane door opened. She was determined to break through and her first course of action was to simply be herself. 

Rey had been told from the time she was young that she was nice, fiercely loyal, determined, and bright. She was a true friend and would do anything for them. She wasn’t known for making conversations with strangers, but she also didn’t shy away from people. For reasons she couldn’t understand, she was approachable and young kids flocked to her. Rose said it was because she had an aura that was so bright and light, that everyone’s moods lifted when they were around her. Rey wasn’t sure she bought into that, but it did make her smile. 

So, Rey was going to be everything she had always been told she was. Kylo Ren could be a jackass for the entire two weeks, but Rey wasn’t going to let that change her. She was going to be friendly damn it, and he was going to just have to deal with it. She wasn’t going to ignore him. Especially if they were going to eventually get these parts. If they somehow convinced the studio that they had more to them, that they had what these characters needed; Rey knew it would mean almost four additional months of long days of shooting and being in close contact with each other. They were going to have to start getting along. 

“Hmmm” he grunted, with nothing but annoyance lacing his tone. 

It took everything in Rey’s body not to turn around and slug him again. That wouldn’t be nice. That definitely wouldn’t be friendly. She plastered on a fake smile before she turned and walked up the jet bridge. 

Seattle’s airport wasn’t as big as LAX, or at least it didn’t seem that way to Rey. However, the walk from their gate to the baggage claim area made it seem that way. Kylo had caught up to her before she walked out of the bridge and into the airport. He had put on sunglasses and a ball cap. He didn’t walk too close to her, but he stayed within arms reach, his backpack slung against his back. His headphones were still in their place. 

She was surprised that he kept pace with her. He had giant legs, and even though he was only about 5 inches taller, he walked in time with her. To the average eye, it would look like two people simply walking towards a similar destination, no one could see the anger that Rey felt with each step, or the frustration and annoyance that flowed between them. 

He didn’t say anything as they waited for their bags. Instead, they stood side by side, with just enough space between them to make it look like they didn’t know each other. As the remaining passengers from their flight began to file down the escalator, the bags began to arrive. Rose had slipped a giant blue belt around Rey’s suitcase - so that she could easily spot it as the conveyor belt moved the items around. Another perk about being first class was it seemed they unloaded their items first, because Kylo picked up a large black suitcase with red stripes that had come down the slide first. Rey’s bag followed shortly behind. Rey reached for her bag, moving it around awkwardly before hosting it out of the way and onto the ground. She leaned over the bag in a huff, silently cursing the blasted thing. 

“All set,” she said, trying to force another smile. 

Again, she was met with nothing. Instead he just turned and began to walk towards the exit. At least he knew where they were going. Poe hadn’t told her where they would pick up their car or where to meet a driver. He hadn’t told Rey that anyone would be meeting them. She just assumed there would be someone waiting for them at the baggage claim. They walked along the long line of baggage claims. She had to move a bit faster this time to keep up with him. It annoyed her how one minute he could be a bit nice, or maybe just not an ass, but then the next be completely oblivious to everything and everyone. 

As they reached the end of the terminal, Rey saw a man in a nicely pressed suit with a sign that simply read  _ Ren & Kenobi _ . 

“You all must be Mr. Ren and Ms. Kenobi - my name is Ryan and I am from Tesla Motors here in Seattle. I have your car waiting for you. If you need anything in the next two weeks, please just give me a call. My number on my business card in the center console. Your destination has already been programmed into the system. The car is waiting for you right outside,” he said, motioning towards the door. 

He began to hand the keys to Kylo, but before contact could be made, Rey lunged for the keys and snatched them right up.

“Thank you Ryan,” she smiled, finally a real one, and began to walk towards the car.

The silver Tesla was parked right outside the door. It was Rey’s dream car and she couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel.

“Just what do you think you are doing?” she heard him growl from behind as her hand reached for the door handle that had appeared.

“Driving”, she quipped.

“I don’t think so,” he said, putting his hand against the door frame, stopping the door from opening. 

“Unless you want me to puke on you and the lovely interior of this car, you bet your ass I am driving,” she glared at him.

They will still for a moment, staring each other down. His eyes bore into hers, sending a slight shiver down her spine. She should have looked away, conceded a bit, but she wasn’t stepping down. Yes, she was nice, but she was also hard headed and when she was set on something, it took the hand of God to change her mind. 

“Fine,” he huffed, moving around the car quickly. 

“Fine,” she whispered as he folded himself into the seat. She wasn’t sure why she was upset about him giving up so quickly. 

Her emotions were all over the place, and she didn’t know how she would react minute to minute. One minute, she was pissed at him, the next she was annoyed, then she was wanting to get closer to him and learn more, followed all too quickly by a surge of disbelief. She had enjoyed their little interaction they just had, the rush from it. She didn’t know what was going on, but it was driving her crazy. In fact, she probably looked like a crazy person. What was he doing to her? 

She settled into the driver’s seat, loving how the seat was already heated. She took a moment to get situated, moving the seat around so she was sitting just the way she wanted. The screen in the middle of the dash told her that the drive was supposed to take around three hours. She plugged her phone into the charger pulled out into traffic. The car felt good under her feet.

Sure, she didn’t own a car and prefered to take public transportation, but she would be lying if she said she hated driving. She loved it. She loved the feeling of freedom it gave her. She loved the feeling of the car beneath her hands as she steered, loved the roar of the engine as she sped up a hill. She missed the feeling. Traffic didn’t bother Rey, she would put on some good tunes and just dance along while the traffic paced along. 

The last time she had driven a car was at least 4 years ago, when her parents drove with her to UCLA to help her move into her dorm. It took them close to 5 hours to get there, and Rey spent the whole ride singing along to 80’s music with her mom while her dad snoozed in the back seat. It always surprised her how he could sleep through anything, but it was the military in him. He was able to fall asleep in any situation in any position. The whole drive is one of Rey’s fondest memories. 

As she merged onto the 5, Rey glanced over at Kylo Ren. He was resting against the seat, his sunglasses and cap still on, his headphones still in place. He didn’t seem to be aware of anything going on around him, so Rey turned up the music and began to sing along as she drove towards Seattle. She had settled on her favorite playlist. Her mom had made it for her the summer before her senior year. It was better than any radio station she could find or playlist on Spotify. She loved how eclectic the soundtrack was. There was country, hip hop, K-pop, musicals, pop, and about another twenty generes. As soon as the first beat came on, Rey instantly felt energized. 

With each mile that passed and with each song that ended, Rey’s voice got louder and her bad mood lifted. She took another peek at her sleeping passenger, and she didn’t feel the anger any more, she didn’t feel the confusion and annoyance. She didn’t want to call the emotion indifference, but it was the best she could do. At least it wasn’t pure hatred anymore. Slowly, that feeling was being replaced. He had let her drive after all. He could have fought her to drive, could have just snatched the keys out of her hands, but he didn’t. He gave up too easily. A bit too easy. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as he was made out to be. If he really was the monster everyone made him to be, he would have insisted he drive, he would have put up more of a fight, and even if she won in the end, he could have fought her over the radio or the way she drove. She wasn’t an over cautious driver, and he could have yelled at her a bit for it. She was an overly confident driver, and her confidence could have been knocked down a bit. But, no. He sat there, sleeping, as if her presence didn’t piss him off. 

Traffic was heavy, as Rey expected it to be. Granted, it was a Sunday night and there shouldn’t have been that much traffic - but the Seahawks had been in the playoffs, so there was more traffic than normal. What was only supposed to be a three hour drive quickly turned into a four hour drive. On the other side of Seattle, Rey pulled off the interstate for a coffee. It was already getting dark and she needed something to help her stay awake. The music would only help so much. 

It did surprise her that in the almost two hours they spent in the heavy traffic that Kylo didn’t wake up. She hadn’t been quiet about her singing either. Between her cursing out the other drivers and the runs she had done during her impressive Mariah Carey song, he should have woken up. Even as they got off the highway onto a ramp that was littered with potholes, he stayed asleep. She had thought about waking him to ask him if he wanted anything, but she didn’t want to wake the beast. 

Instead, she just ordered a large black coffee along with her order. She was normally an iced coffee girl, but with the rain belting down around her, and the wind picking up, a nice hot drink sounded better. She was also a simple girl, never wanting to get behind the popular drinks that all the obnoxious girls in school fell over. Coffee for her wasn’t a hobby, it was a necessity. Her job in the IT world was always at night, and the simple coffees that she could make at home were all she needed. So, in addition to the Venti Black that she ordered, she also got a Venti Caramel Latte. She breathed in the aroma of the coffee as the barista handed her the drinks. Instalty, she felt wide away and ready to drive to the island.

The next song came on the playlist and Rey perked up even more. Soon, they were crossing the large bridge that connected Whidbey Island to the mainland. There was still another hour to get them to the rental that Galactic had reserved for them, but the coffee was kicking in and with it came better renditions of the music that filled the car. The playlist seemed to know exactly what she needed, because she didn’t find herself skipping any of the songs - instead she sang and danced along to each bop that came on. 

Trees blended along the highway as the rain continued to pound down on the windshield. She had never seen so much rain and green in her life. Sure, she had seen it all before, but nothing like what she was experiencing now. 

Whidbey Island was nothing like LA. In fact, Rey felt like it was the complete opposite. There were no traffic jams, in fact, in the last five minutes she had only passed one car on the road. There were giant conifers everywhere. She could see giant ferns growing along the highway. The rain was cold and heavy, unlike the hot rains that they would randomly get in LA. Since they had turned off the major highway about forty minutes prior, there had been only small towns peppering the drive. The biggest one couldn’t even be considered a town in Rey’s book. Even the outlying cities of LA swamped the small island town. LA was probably twice the size of the whole island. Even though it was one hundred percent different than LA, Rey was enamoured. 

Everything about the island called to her. She couldn’t describe it, since she hadn’t even gotten out of the car since she got in it at the airport, but she felt a deep connection to the place. There was something calling to her. 

Finally, after four and a half hours of driving - thanks to the traffic and the ferry being down, they arrived at the most beautiful home Rey had ever seen. Langley sat across the bay from Everett, and she could see the glow of Seattle from behind the house. She had noticed the messages along the highway coming up that the ferry had been down due to rough waters, and Rey could now see and appreciate them. Large waves crashed against the sand. She was surprised that the surf didn’t hit the home. Yet, the mansion the studio had rented sat far enough up on the ground that even if the waves could reach the home, it wouldn’t harm it. They had driven down a long tree lined driveway till they came upon the house, which was situated at the opposite side of a well sized clearing. In the headlights, Rey could see three different trail heads and she couldn’t wait to get to hike them. 

She pulled the car into the garage and sighed, she needed a long bath and a nice bed. Who knew that travel could take so much out of you. 

“We’re here,” Rey said, turning to Kylo. 

She had taken peeks at him multiple times on the ride up, his position never changing. She would bet money that his neck and back were killing him and his legs would feel like jelly when he finally stood up. 

He didn’t respond to her words, so she reached over and shook his shoulders a bit. His head jerked to the side, his shaded eyes meeting hers. 

“We’re here,” she said again, this time motioning to the garage.

Rey climbed out of the car. She could hear the rain pelt the side of the house. She was freezing already. Her grandmother’s need to always be prepared was something Rey was substantially thankful for at that exact moment. She had only worn a pair of leggings and a baggy sweater onto the plane, with her knee length riding boots and a giant scarf that doubled as a wrap. The first thing she was going to do when she got inside was unpack the pair of PJs that she had gotten many years prior when the family was supposed to spend the holidays at a ski resort, but ended up having to stay in Yuma thanks to her father’s broken leg. The PJs were only worn once, not needed other than Christmas morning to satisfy the pictures her grandmother and mother wanted to take. Yet, now they will come in very handy. 

They got their luggage from the trunk in complete silence. He waited patiently for her to remove her bag, standing behind her with his arms crossed. He didn’t say a word to her, or even make an annoyed sound. 

The inside of the house was just as beautiful as the outside. The outside was a gorgeous Cape Cod but the inside was completely renovated and didn’t feel like a traditional beach house. The garage led directly into the kitchen, which was something Rey could only dream about. There was a gorgeous full range stove and a coffee station with the newest espresso maker from Starbucks. The kitchen opened up to a large living room that had what Rey could only assume was the most spectacular view of the bay. There were a few more doors downstairs, but Rey would have to wait until the morning to check out the house a bit more - as a yawn raced through her body. 

She hadn’t noticed that she was alone in the room until she heard a door shut from upstairs. Well, rather until she heard it slam. 

A long sigh escaped her chest. 

Her bedroom was located up the stairs at the end of the hallway - directly across from the only closed door in the house - Kylo’s room. She actually let out a whistle when the lights turned on. A large king sized bed was situated in the middle of the wall that was next to the door, the wall across from it was almost floor to ceiling doors that led out to a large balcony that faced the water. There was a nook next to the bed that had been set up perfect for reading. 

Another whistle almost escaped from her lips when she looked into the bathroom. There was a giant soaking tub, an amazing shower with a rain shower head, and of course your other typical bathroom amenities. 

Rey had never been in a home this nice before. Moving from foster home to foster home for a couple of years before the Kenobis adopted, she didn’t really get to stay in places like this. She was lucky that her foster families were all pretty amazing, but they weren’t living in mansions with views like this. Her father was an officer in the military, which means he had more money than most of the foster families she stayed with, but they were always in military housing until her father retired. The house they moved into was pretty modest, with just enough room for the three of them. This house was probably double the size of her parent’s home and quadruple the size of her apartment. 

She deposited her suitcase on the couch and found her phone in her bag.

“Hey hot stuff, kill him yet?” Rose’s voice echoed through the phone.

“Not yet, but it’s hard to murder someone who avoids you like the plauge,” she laughed at herself, but the laugh wasn’t as normal as she would have liked.

“Oh no, what’s wrong, what did he do?” 

“He actually didn’t do anything. It’s nothing,” Rey trailed off, it was stupid anyways, she wasn’t even sure why she felt the need to call Rose.

“It’s not nothing, so spill,” she urged.

“This is all just so much,” the confession spilling out of her, she moved to close the door, not wanting Kylo to hear how overwhelmed she was feeling, “the flight, the car, the house - everything.”

“Honey, it’s the life of a movie star, it’s what you dreamt of,” Rose countered.

“But, I am not a movie star,” the sob that escaped Rey’s throat was unexpected. She didn’t think she would be this overcome with emotion of the confession, even though she hadn’t told Rose what she was truly feeling. 

“This is just the beginning. You may not be one at this exact moment, but you are becoming one. This is what studios do, this is what you will be able to do one day,” Rose’s explanation didn’t really help Rey’s feeling though.

“How can you be so sure?” Rey’s underlying fear was starting to surface, “What if this is it? What if I am not good enough? What if I never find my place in all of this? How can I stay here in this amazing house, with an amazing bathroom and kitchen, with my dream car sitting in the garage, with one of the best actors of our time, and then just go back to fixing code at night and going on auditions for parts I will never get during the day? It just doesn’t seem to make any sense. This was my first audition ever, at least professionally. How can any of this be true?”

Rey had tears streaming down her face, but she finally felt free of the fear she had since the first audition she went to. 

“First off, you Rey Kenobi, are amazing. You have more talent in your pinkie finger than most people do in their whole body. You have a way of reaching your audience in ways no one could ever imagine. I have never been as moved seeing someone act as I do when you do a scene. Second, you will find your place, it may not be in this series, it may not be in the next few years, but one day, everything will fall into place. Third, if this happens to be all that you ever do, then make it the best thing you ever do. Make the best of the time you have been given. Tomorrow is never promised Rey, you need to make sure to live it to the fullest. You are there now, in an amazing house with an amazing bathroom and kitchen, so use it. Use up all the hot water and make the best food you’ve ever tasted. You are there with your dream car, so drive it. Take long rides in it and enjoy it. You are there with an asshole who happens to also have a bit of talent, so utilize him. Learn from him. Stop being so negative, because that isn’t the Rey I know. The Rey I know has been dealt shitty hands in life before and has always overcome the cards to win the round. Do it again,”

Rose’s words resonated with Rey as her tears continued to fall. Yet, with each word, Rey’s breathing evened. She took in each word and held onto it like it was a life line. Rose was right, even if this ended after two weeks and she went back to the life of an IT person - she still had two weeks of something that most people never got. She wouldn’t let this feeling of dread stop her. She had felt worse than she did right now. She had been through worse than even the horrible audition she had with Kylo. She always came out on top. And yes, one day she wouldn’t have the same luck, but she wasn’t going to let that fear hold her back. 

“Thanks Rose, you always know what to say,” Rey’s smile could be felt through the phone.

“It’s cause I’m amazing,” her comeback made Rey laugh, “So tell me the truth, you really haven’t killed him yet?”

“You really want to help me bury a body don’t you,” Rey laughed more.

“Maybe,” Rose joined in on the laughing.

“In all seriousness though, how are things with him?” she asked.

“Fine, I guess. I mean he’s said maybe ten whole words to me the entire day. He slept most of the flight and car ride, so it’s hard to fight when you are comatose. He also let me drive without a fight. I don’t know. There are times when I look at him, and I don’t fully hate his guts, but then he will do something that makes me absolutely loathe him. I just don’t know what to do. We have to start at least talking in order to get these parts; I mean the show fucking revolves around him actually wanting to be in my presence,” Rey’s frustration was palpable.

“I know it’s frustrating, you just gotta keep at it. I can’t believe I am saying that either. And I can’t believe what I am about to say, but, maybe he needs someone, a friend maybe,” the hesitation in her friend’s voice echoed what she thought earlier. 

Maybe there was something more to Kylo Ren then she thought. Maybe his demeanor on set, his reputation, his act was all due to being lonely. It made sense. Rey was pretty sure if she had lived life the way she heard he did - in purse isolation - she would act the same way. In fact, she was already beginning to act like Kylo when the Kenobis adopted her. She was withdrawn and sulked. She had trouble making friends. She wasn’t overly mean or threw temper tantrums, but she wasn’t going out of her way to be nice. It took a while, and theater, for her to come out of her shell, but once she did, she wasn’t going back. Was that why Rey felt the need to get to know Kylo and not just act the part of friends? Did she see more of her in him than she thought? Did his comment to her at their audition mean more than she thought?

“Maybe, but how can I do that when he doesn’t even pay attention to me? I’m being nice, but it isn’t doing anything,” she didn’t want to admit that she didn’t really try that hard. Sure, she spoke to him in a friendly manner, and she didn’t punch him every chance she got, but was she really trying to get to know him, to make this work? Or was she just hoping that things would just fall into place. 

“Just keep trying, and really try. You two have two weeks alone, and from what I was reading, you don’t have much to do unless you take a drive into Seattle. So just be yourself and it will all work out. Besides, you’re amazing, he can’t ignore you forever,” Rose’s smile could be heard through the phone. 

“I hope so, thanks Rose,” Rey didn’t want the conversation to end, but she also knew there wasn’t much more her friend could say to ease her mind. 

“Just remember, I'm here if you need to bury a body,” Rose laughed as she hung up the phone. 

While Rose always knew what to say to make her feel better, she also knew that all the shit she was dealing with was something that she was going to have to work through on her own. The fight happening in her head, the fight between wanting to get to know Kylo better and the knowledge that he was a jackass to her and she shouldn’t let that go so easily, was something that only she could work through. 

She couldn’t explain why she felt the need to just hate Kylo Ren and not give him a second chance. She also couldn’t explain why she felt the need to get to know him better. There was something there, something that wouldn’t let her just let go. There was something there that had her forgiving his asshole ways, without any explanation needed. She saw parts of her in him, parts of her that could have been worse if her family hadn’t been there for her when she needed it. 

As her brain ran through everything she was worried about, everything she was unsure about; she got ready for bed. Being in LA for so long, she had gotten used to late nights, staying up till the early morning most nights; but tonight she was tired and it wasn’t even half past ten. She found the flannel PJs her grandmother bought and instantly felt a thousand times better. She washed her face and slathered on her lotion. The bed was more comfortable than she could have imagined. It enveloped her in a way that sprung tears to her eyes. Wrapped in the comforter and the feel of the mattress against her back, she finally felt good. She knew what she needed to do.

She saw herself, at least some of herself, in Kylo Ren. When he insulted her at their auditions, there was something in his eyes that called out to her. There was something between them that was more than the anger, that was more than the rush of emotions that plagued her system. She wasn’t going to let the emotions, the confusion, the fear and anger win. She was going to do just what she said she was going to do when she first looked at him on that plane. She was going to break through Kylo Ren if it was the last thing she did.

The comforter came with her as she climbed out of bed and tiptoed across the hallway to his room. She couldn’t see any light filtering from the floor and there were no sounds coming from within. She placed a hand against the door, her fingers quietly tapping on the wood.

“Good Night Kylo,” she said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as an FYI for those of you familiar with the PNW - yes, there is a ferry they could have taken to get to the Island from Seattle (Everett) but I didn't have them take it for a reason that will happen later on.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the Kudos everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter. There is a lot more character interactions in this one. As always, no one had Beta Read this, so all mistakes are my fault.

Unlike LA, Rey wasn’t awoken by bright light streaming through her window. The loud howl of the rough wind was what woke her from her restless slumber. It took her forever to fall asleep after she returned to bed. She just couldn’t get comfortable. It wasn’t that the bed was too firm or too soft, even though the pillows were too soft; but she just couldn’t find a position that was right. She also didn’t dream, and she never felt well rested after nights when dreams evaded her. 

As she rolled over and stretched like a cat, she caught a glance of the clock. It was barley seven and yet it looked like midnight outside. The only lights she could see were far off in the distance, sparkling as trees dance in front of them. She hadn’t set an alarm, but she wasn’t going to be able to go back to sleep. 

She shivered as her feet hit the hard wooden surface of the floor. She could never sleep with socks on. Her toes moved across the floor, desperately searching for the socks she had discarded the night before. 

The house was silent, minus the gusting wind banging against the window. As Rey wrapped her shawl around her arms, she peeked at Kylo’s door. He must still be asleep, as there were still no lights shining or noises escaping. It both saddened her and made her happy; she was sad that she wouldn’t be able to start getting to know him right away, but happy that she had some time to mentally prepare what she was going to say to him. As she tossed and turned in the bed the night before, she went through a dozen scenarios about how she would approach him in the morning. Her brain created another couple scenes on how the whole entire two weeks would play out. However, the one thing she hadn’t thought about was what she was going to do when she saw his door in the morning. 

Looking around the hallway, a bit confused about what to do, she noticed a couple more doors that were still open. There were two more bedrooms upstairs, a room that looked like an office, and a sunroom; with windows on all sides. She finally got to see what was downstairs too; a bathroom off the kitchen, a gym below the sunroom, that had the same views as the sunroom. There was also a library with another reading nook that Rey couldn’t wait to get to use. 

It was as she walked around the kitchen, getting the coffee maker going, that she noticed a stack of papers sitting on the counter. She could have sworn they weren’t there the night before, but she was also just focused on the grandeur of the home and wanting to curl into her bed. 

On the top of the stack was a letter from Galactic Studios, signed by Holdo welcoming them to the home and explaining again what was expected of both of them. Holdo had said again that under no circumstances would one of them be hired without the other, so they better start showing them something other than anger, or they would both be looking for other roles. Rey’s hand started to shake as she read through the rest of the letter; the pressure of what the time here meant rushing back to her. She hadn’t forgotten, but she also had been able to push the stress down for a while - or maybe her reaction to Kylo’s demeanor and the house had really just been her conscious freaking out about what this time meant. 

The letter also had some stipulations she wanted to remind the two of. First, their trainer would be there every day from two till six; except weekends, where they would be expected to keep up their own training. The trainer would work with Rey first for an hour, followed by Kylo. THey would then come back together at four to work together for the final two. Second, they were reminded that they shouldn’t have any contact with their representatives. They were there to get to know each other, not to talk to their assistants or agents. This wasn’t time for them to do anything else - this was for them to work on their skills and connect as co-stars. Chemistry was key - and that is exactly what was written in the note; it was highlighted, bolded and italicized as well. 

She was brought back to what Rose said - _love and hate are similar._ All they had to do was bridge the feelings of hatred and connect. 

As she set the note down, the smell of coffee wafted through the air. She grabbed a cup, mixed in some creamer, grabbed the rest of the papers and headed for the giant couch that faced the fireplace. She hadn’t noticed it last night, but it was situated between the large windows. Beside the two nooks located in the house, and the amazing kitchen, she knew that she would be spending a lot of time here, looking at the view and enjoying an actual working fireplace. 

The light from the rising sun was finally beginning to brighten the cloudy, dark sky. Rey took in the majestic view that was laid out in front of her. Snow capped mountains lined the horizon while rolling green hills fell before them. Lights from homes across the bay were still blinking in the breeze. The bay before her was rough, the whitecaps of the waves crashing on their beach were terrifying but beautiful. The sky looked fierce, with dark grey clouds peppered with lighter one - Rey was positive that rain was in the forecast today. She could feel the chill of the outside air as she listened to the wind continue to howl. 

A door from upstairs opened and Rey sucked in a breath. She heard heavy footsteps on the stairs.

He was dressed in a black sweater that hung loosely around his body. His matching black pajama pants brushed against the floor as he walked barefoot over to the kitchen. His hair was sticking out in places, but was handsome. Rey didn’t want to admit to herself that she found him that attractive, but she was having trouble with the stubble that crossed his chin. 

She stood up from the comfort of the couch and moved to meet him in the kitchen. 

“Good Morning, sleep well?” she asked, as he lifted up the pot of coffee.

“Fine,” he mumbled. 

Rey kept a smile on her face and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. Maybe he wasn’t a morning person - half of LA didn’t function before ten AM and maybe Kylo didn’t either. 

She watched as he lifted the cup of coffee and drank. She thought she saw a smile on his lips as the first taste of it touched his lips. 

“So, the studio left us something. There is a note from Holdo - a reminder about training and why we are here,” she said, pointing to the note she had read earlier, “They also delivered our scripts.”

Holdo had mentioned in the letter that they each had full scripts for the first episode - and that her writing team took time to add in some notes prudent for each character in the margins. She expected them to pay close attention to their notes and the stage directions to grasp what the scene meant. Rey had already learned from Poe that Holdo was known for littering easter eggs and important details in the scenes themselves and not in the dialogue the characters were saying. Rey had watched the last series Holdo worked on and saw first hand how the audience should pay attention to how the characters interacted versus the actual dialogue. The magnetism between the characters was where the real story was. 

Rey slid the script for Kylo across the counter. They were thick, which was a surprise for a first episode; Rey would have expected a script this size for a movie, not for one episode of a series. However, she was thankful. The more the writers gave them, the more the producers described how they expected something to go; the more Rey had to work with. She was already planning on opening up the new pack of highlighters the second she could and diving into the episode. But first, she needed to talk to Kylo.

“Do you want breakfast? I haven’t eaten yet, and I could make something, my friends say that I am a pretty good cook,” Rey offered, walking over to the fridge to see what she could whip up. A nice omelette sounded wonderful to her empty stomach. 

“No,” he huffed, taking the script from the counter, but he didn’t move from his position. He leaned against the counter, hunched over, flipping through the script.

“OK. Ummmm, I was going to go for a run in a bit - hopefully before any rain starts. Did you want to join me?” Rey looked over at him from the fridge.

“No.”

The tone was the same as it was before. Short and to the point. There was something about the way he said it though that was grating on her. He wasn’t angry, but he wasn’t annoyed. She couldn’t place what was up with him. 

“Alright,” she replied, trying to not sound hurt. She was hoping he would at least be willing to speak to her with more than one word. She didn’t expect him to start spending every waking moment with her, but she did expect him to say more than one word. 

She had found eggs, cheese and spinach in the fridge and set to work making an omelette. There was hot sauce in the cupboard and she sent up a silent prayer to the Gods that it was there. She had grown up in the southwest - hot sauce went on everything. PIzza - hot sauce; french fries - hot sauce; hot dogs - hot sauce; hell she even put hot sauce in her lasagna sauce recipe to give it that kick. She normally carried a small thing of hot sauce in her purse, but left it at home when she knew she would be flying. 

He didn’t move as she worked around him. So, she did what she would naturally do - what Rose had been telling her to do. She connected her phone to the bluetooth speaker she saw sitting near the center of the counter and played her normal morning playlist. There were only ten songs on it, but it was just enough to get her going in the morning. Normally, she would dance around her home while drinking her smoothie before jumping in the shower to start her day. Today, she was going to jam out while making breakfast and sipping her coffee.

She could see him watch her out of the corner of her eye. He had been trying to look like he was reading his script - head bent far enough that his hair covered part of her face; but she had spotted it. Every couple of seconds, he would take a peek. She couldn’t read his expression, but he didn’t tell her to stop and he didn’t look flat out angry so she kept going. 

By the end of the second song, Rey was beginning to cook and really felt like herself. She started singing along watching the eggs bubble in the pan on the stove. By the fourth song, her eggs were done and she was moving to sit at the counter. She kept the music going as she scrolled through Instagram. 

Kylo hadn’t strayed from his place, but had given up reading the script. Instead he was staring right at her. 

“How’s the script so far?” she asked over Madonna, as his eyes flickered back down to the script, a frown appearing on his face.

“Good,” Kylo’s one worded responses were at least starting to get some variation to them. 

“That’s great,” Rey’s enthusiasm was a bit forced, but she didn’t want to close herself off from him. Maybe he would start talking if she didn’t act annoyed by his responses.

“After my run, I think I’m gonna run into town to get some groceries; there are some basic items here, but I was going to make curry for dinner and wanted to get some other items. Did you want to join me?” she already knew the answer she was going to get, but she asked anyways.

“No,” his focus had returned to the script, the page flipping on the booklet.

“OK, well, I’m gonna go for my run. I should be back in about an hour. Have a good morning Kylo,” she gave him a smile as she put the plate in the sink.

He didn’t respond as she picked up her coffee and walked up the stairs. 

* * *

She didn’t know where she was going as she jogged through the forest that surrounded the house. She wasn’t worried about getting lost though, she had placed a pin on the map for the trail head, so that if she did get turned around somehow, she could find her way home. 

Rey would run for an hour through West Hollywood once a week. She never ran for a specific amount of miles, just for a specific amount of time. An alarm on her phone would tell her when it was time to turn around and retrace her steps. Her normal weekday exercise was a two mile run at the park near her apartment, or she would take a spin class. And while she had already done her hour run on Saturday, she needed to push herself. 

Training was going to be a bitch. She hadn’t read through the script yet, but she knew she was going to be expected to do fight scenes. So, in addition to the training, she was going to try running for an hour every day. 

Rain came down, but it was a light mist, just enough to create some mud. There was a chill in the air, and the wind whipped around her; but it wasn’t too cold. She was glad she had purchased the running jacket for the random crisp mornings that would sometimes hit LA. 

Her feet pounded the muddy ground and she thought about that morning. She had been herself, doing what she would normally do any other morning. She made her coffee and ate breakfast while listening to music. She never fully planned her meals ahead of time, minus her normal smoothie or omelette, so needing to go to the market was normal. Not only did it force Rey to buy fresh from the local markets, but it also helped her to keep snacks out of her pantry. She only purchased what she could carry in her reusable grocery bag. 

Their conversation hadn’t lasted more than five minutes, and he hadn’t said more than a couple of words to her; but she counted their interaction as a win. He wasn’t outright rude to her and she had been nothing but nice and inviting. 

She was pleased and relieved to find that the trail she had chosen looped back around and dumped her out on the beach less than 100 yards from their back porch. She was out of breath and starting to feel the cold on her fingers. A nice hot bath called her name. 

As she walked through the patio door, she noticed the house was silent again. Kylo was nowhere to be seen. However, there was a glass of water set out on the kitchen counter. He must have left it out for her - that or he left a full glass of iced water out of the counter by accident. She wasn’t actually sure which was less likely. She didn’t think he was the type to leave things around without a purpose, but she also didn’t think he would do something so nice for her. 

She took the glass either way and made her way up to her room. As she climbed she continued to hear the sound of silence echoing through the house. All the doors from the day before were still open. He had locked himself back in his room once again. It wasn’t fully annoying anymore, but rather it was somewhat comforting. It was weird how quickly his avoidance of her and the minimum words that he said became his personality. If he had been waiting for her downstairs, TV blaring, she would have been more concerned. 

Yet, she had decided that maybe breaking down all of his walls shouldn’t be her main goal for the two weeks. That was too lofty and a guaranteed failure. However, getting Kylo to simply spend time with her - at least an hour - would be a better outcome. Getting him to interact with her, have an actual conversation that had more than 20 combined words, would be a win to her. She was going to get her one hour of small talk dammit - and it will be casual and it will be amicable.

* * *

Elias was from Sweden and older than he looked. During their quick introduction, as she was warming up on the treadmill, she learned he was about fifty, had been in the business for about twenty years, was gay and happily married to his first boyfriend. She was impressed at how easy he made the moves to the fight scene look. 

She hadn’t been able to read much of the script, but she knew there were four separate fight scenes in the first episode alone. One was a fight scene with Kylo’s character and a CGI'd beast, another was a bar fight that another character walks in on and stops, the third was a training scene that Kylo would participate in, and the final was between Kylo’s character and Rey’s. On paper, the scene lasted a total of fifteen pages in dialogue, not counting the pages of stage description. On screen, Elias said the scene would last about five minutes. 

That was all Rey had read. Elias filled her in on the rest. They were to be equals on the field. The scene was to be set in the past, and it was the first time their characters were “meeting”. There was supposed to be both anger and awe. In fact, Elias said that Rey’s character takes a beating for a moment because she is so starstruck. 

He then showed her a video of the scene he had choreographed. A woman with a build like Rey flowed across the screen, her sword swinging with a delicate curve. Elias was playing Kylo’s character and his demeanor was a thousand percent different than her trainer. If training ever stopped working for him, he could easily get a role acting. She watched as the characters sparred - and while they fought, there was also a connection there between the characters. They used each other in a way that people who hated each other would never do. In fact, Rey could see at least two times where she was almost positive the characters would kiss, but then they would swing their swords and the fight was back on. 

“Now, the entire scene is about five minutes and I have choreographed about ten. This is done in an eight count, so for the next two weeks we will work on about five eight counts a day. Now, Kylo has two additional fight scenes in this episode, but only one in the next episode. You will have another two fight scenes in that episode, so we will be working on those during your one on one time, and work on the dual fight scene together. I wanted you to see the duel scene first, to get you in the right mindset to complete the individual ones,” he explained.

“The way I should feel for my scenes in the second episode are based off of how the first fight ended. I get it. I mean, it looks like she leaves a bit defeated even though in the end she bested him. Even though she did, she didn’t want to hurt him and wanted to be with him; but now she has to fight him again and that is what her training is about,” Rey answered the unasked question. 

She knew what the character was feeling, because she was feeling it a bit herself. She didn’t want to like Kylo, didn’t want to be attracted to him. She knew too much about him from hear say and she didn’t want to like someone like that. Yet, she couldn’t help the fact that her heart seemed to race whenever she saw him. She couldn’t help hating that fact that she slapped him, even though she knew he deserved it. Her feelings were fighting a battle, and that is just what her character’s feelings were doing. Her head was fighting her heart. 

“Right, so are you ready to learn the first eight count to your solo scene?” Elias asked, motioning Rey to move to in front of the mirror. 

“Yeah, let’s do it,” she smiled. 

The trainer took her through the paces. Her body ached after her run, but now she was sure she was going to completely fall apart. She was soaked with sweat and had rid herself of her shirt. She was going to have to do laundry soon, because she had only packed a few sports bras and hadn’t planned on going through two in a day. Her sneakers squealed on the wooden floors of the gym. 

It wasn’t a world class gym, having just an elliptical and treadmill, along with a full body weight machine; but it had plenty of room for the trainer to work her through a detailed choreography of a giant fight scene. 

Before she knew it, the hour was up and there was a knock at the door. She was bent over, hands on her knees, chest heaving from the last round. Elias had taught her five eight counts and she had been going at them non stop. The steps weren’t necessarily hard, but they required a lot of movement and the last eight count required her to complete a jump kick. She hadn’t worked this hard since she was a senior in high school and the lead of the spring musical. 

Kylo was standing in the doorway. His long hair was pulled back into a short ponytail. Of course he was still in all black. However, he was no longer in his oversized sweater - he was in a tight tank top that showed off his hard muscles. His gym shorts showed of long legs that were sculpted. He watched Rey huff. There was a tightness in her calves that she knew only stretching would fix. She saw his eyes run up and down her body. She suddenly felt embarrassed about her naked torso.

She was in great shape - she knew that she needed to be to make it in Hollywood. Yes, it was stupid, everyone was beautiful, no matter what their size; but Rey also knew that studio execs and producers were vapid and shallow. She knew she needed to be fit in order to get her foot in the door and not type cast. However, she didn’t starve herself or let working out be her only hobby. Rey was lucky that she had a genetic predisposition to be lean and that she enjoyed salads and grilled chicken. 

“Ah, you must be Kylo Ren. I’m surprised I haven’t gotten to work with you before,” Elias said, moving to the door to shake Kylo’s hand, “Elias.”

“Nice to meet you,” Kylo gruffed, “Let’s get started.”

“Have a great session guys, I’ll see y’all in an hour. Try not to work him too hard, OK Elias?” Rey joked and winked at Kylo as she left the room. 

She could have sworn she saw another small smile across his lips as he rolled his eyes. 

* * *

She watched Kylo finish his choreography. He moved gracefully around Elias, practicing his fight. She couldn’t help but stare at what she was seeing. His fighting wasn’t brutish. Elias had him moving with purpose around him, the fake sword movements bewitched her. The movements reminded her of music - there were subtle builds and drops, each separate beat worked together to make beautiful music. 

The last hour went by quickly - Rey started the curry. She had run to the local store when she finished her shower. Now, the ingredients simmered in a pot on the stove, already filling the room with a wonderful aroma. She had tried to read through the script, her new highlighters and favorite pen ready to go, but she wasn’t able to focus. 

It wasn’t that anything in particular was distracting her, the words on the paper weren’t registering. They were just words. They weren’t meaning anything to her. Even her scenes were just letters on the page. She wasn’t connecting to the story, to the characters, to the emotion. There were no notes that she could write. The highlighters had only been used to notate her lines and important stage information. 

Frustration pulsed through her as she waited to begin their dual training session. 

“Welcome back Rey,” Elias said as he finished up his final instruction to Kylo.

“Thanks,” she nodded. 

“Alright you two. You’ve both seen the scene we are going to prepare for. There needs to be trust between the two of you for this to work. Now, while I have done a ten minute piece, the production team will probably only use five minutes of it. I am pretty sure which parts they will choose, but we need to be prepared for the whole thing. The trust is important, because without it, the scene will not work,” the explanation made sense. When Rey initially watched the scene, she saw that her character would be hanging onto Kylos a lot. 

She looked over at Kylo, who was wiping his forehead with a clean towel. Could she trust him? She didn’t really have a choice, but oddly enough, she did feel she could trust him. Even during their fight, she could trust him. He wouldn’t physically hurt her and she trusted him to put everything he had into a scene. During their audition, even though Rey’s confidence told her she carried that scene, she had been impressed by Kylo’s dedication to the role. He gave it all he had when they were acting. 

“Let’s get started,” Elias’s voice broke her from her thoughts. 

For the next two hours, they learned and perfected the choreography. Rey finally noticed the camera that was set up along the wall near the door. She was pretty sure that it wasn’t there during their solo training. The little red light showed they were being recorded. The studio must be requesting proof they were working together and getting along. 

Kylo didn’t talk much during the instruction, instead he simply nodded his head when he understood. He didn’t question anything. He watched intently as Elias showed him exactly what to do. Rey was impressed at how quickly he picked things up, but then realized that Kylo must be very used to learning fight sequences. It must be second nature to him at this point. It took Rey a bit longer to pick up the sequencing. If Kylo was annoyed with her for how long it was taking her to learn the opening clash, he wasn’t showing it. 

“Good work Kylo, Rey. We are done for the day. I will email you both a copy of what we did today, in addition to the full scene. I don’t want you practicing outside of the gym right now. I want to make sure you have the steps down first. For now, just watch the video and relax. Today, I went easy on both of you,” Elias said, causing Kylo to let out a huff, making Rey laugh a bit, “but tomorrow I won’t. Be prepared.”

She found it hard to believe he went easy on them. If that was easy, she was worried about what tomorrow had in store. 

The three of them walked to the kitchen, Rey immediately going to the fridge to pour herself a large glass of water. 

“Good night you two,” Elias said as he walked through the door that led to the driveway. 

The house was now filled with silence. She hadn’t realized how loud it had been when Elias was there. Even with the door closed to their session, Rey had basked in the noises that echoed from the gym and filled the room with something. She had her music playing softly in the background, and she was finally beginning to feel relaxed and normal. She figured that the silence had been one of the reasons she was so emotional. Her little apartment in WEHO was near a busy road, so there was always some noise; but out here, there was nothing but silence. At times, she swore she could hear the roar of fighter jets, but they weren’t loud enough to comfort her. 

Kylo was seated at the counter, taking large sips from his chilled water. Rey’s music was still on rotation. She needed to cook the rice for the curry, which was ready to be eaten. She had found a rice cooker earlier and was thankful it would only take about five minutes for the rice to be ready. All that was missing was Naan, but she wasn’t able to find any at the store and she was not making any from scratch. 

“Did you want some? It’s buttered chicken with veggies. The rice will be ready in a few minutes?” She asked as she pressed the start button on the cooker. 

Instead of an answer, Kylo just shrugged. He looked worn out, and a bit tired. There were circles under his eyes and the shrug was slow and lackluster. 

She wanted to ask him again, but before she could say anything else, he stood up with his glass and walked upstairs. Soon after his door closed, she heard the shower going. 

She ate her curry and rice in peace, her music was the only thing that joined her. She was used to eating alone, yet she found she was a bit sad to be eating alone. During their training, there were times when she felt she was finally starting to connect with Kylo. He may not have said anything to her, and she may not have said anything much to him other than the quick _you ready?_ or _you ok?_ , but she felt something there. His hands were large, but held onto hers tightly when the choreography called for it. He understood instinctively what she needed during one move, his hands moving to steady her without Elias or her asking. The trust was there, just like Elias requested. So, she thought he would stay for dinner, maybe talk to her a bit. She wasn’t expecting her goals to come to fruition right away, but she still thought she would get something. 

There were still a few servings of curry left. She made a plate up and stuck it in the microwave. Maybe Kylo would still be hungry when he was done in the shower. If not, she would toss the leftovers in the morning. She wrote out a note for him and left it on the counter. It was the only thing left there, minus the bluetooth speaker, so she knew he would see it. 

_Kylo,_

_There is some curry for you in the microwave. If you don’t want it, you can just throw it out. If you do eat it, I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for the training today and have a good night. I’ll see you in the morning._

_Rey_

She padded up the stairs. She could no longer hear the shower going. She paused at her door the way she had the night before. She couldn’t hear anything from the other side of the door. Her hand flattened against it, her breath coming ragged. However, this time when she tapped, she did it so if he was in the room, he could hear her. 

“Kylo, there is food for you downstairs in the microwave. Have a good night, see you in the morning,” she said, not yelling, but loud enough that he should be able to hear her.

As she laid down in bed after taking the time to ease her sore muscles in the biggest bathtub she had ever used, she heard the door to Kylo’s room open and close. She listened to him walk down the stairs, but soon she couldn’t hear anything. She drifted off to sleep hoping that tomorrow would be a bit better.

* * *

Tuesday and Wednesday were almost identical repeats of Monday. Rey awoke early to a silent house. She made coffee and an omelette. She listened to her music. She told Kylo good morning and told him what her plans were for the day. He always declined the offer to go on her run. He always declined an omelette. Their exchanges were identical - he didn’t say more than one actual word to her. However, he did expand on his vocabulary. He could now say _here, there, maybe,_ and to her great surprise _thanks, morning_ and _night_. But that was it. There was no real sentence and there were no actual conversations. 

Another thing she noticed was that he ate what she set aside for him. When she went down to the kitchen on Tuesday morning, she noticed the note was missing and the curry had been eaten. The dishes were washed too. She couldn’t help but smile and dance around as she made the coffee. And that was how he found her when he finally made his way downstairs. In fact, it seemed like every time he entered a room she was in, minus the gym, she was dancing and singing. She was never able to tell if he was annoyed with her or not; but she continued to sing along to the music. 

Since he ate the dinner she made him, she went ahead and made him lunch in addition before she went to the library to read the script. The words were finally starting to jump off the page and she was finally beginning to understand her character. Tuesday’s dinner was a lasagna that Rey’s mother taught her how to make, with the secret sauce recipe that had been passed down the Kenobi family for generations. Again, she left it with a note on the counter as Kylo went up to his room. 

Everything changed on Wednesday. The morning was the same. Rey tried to exchange pleasantries over the new playlist she had downloaded the night before. Kylo huffed and answered her questions in monotoned one syllable replies. The rain was pouring heavy, so she used the treadmill to run, her music blasting through the gym’s speaker system. Kylo had initially been sitting on the couch reading the script, but she watched him through the window and saw him give up about fifteen minutes in, slamming the script onto the table and retreating upstairs. Their training had been normal, but there was an awkwardness to their moves. Unlike the last few days, Kylo didn’t catch Rey when he needed to or she missed her marks. 

She asked him if he was OK and he couldn’t even make eye contact with her as he grunted out a yes. Everything was off between them. Her runner’s high was officially gone as Elias left them. She noticed him whispering something to Kylo before he kissed her on the cheek before taking his leave. 

Kylo went quickly upstairs, leaving Rey to the silence that she had come to really hate. It was the worst. It reminded her of her time before the Kenobi’s adopted her. There was always a silence around her. She felt utterly alone- and that is what silence meant to her, that she was alone. As the silence washed over her, she began to panic. She hated the feeling. Hated that it made her feel like she wasn’t deserving of anything. 

Instinctively she turned on the music. Taylor Swift came on and she immediately felt calm. The music moved through her and she didn’t feel so alone anymore. She got the chicken out and danced her way through the prep. Spices filled the air, Rey’s voice was loud against the blasting music. Her worries and fears were falling away with every beat and every moment. Music was her escape. Her mind wasn’t completely blank as she chopped the potatoes and readied the veggies for the pan. She only had fresh green beans and carrots since Kylo didn’t answer her when she asked what types of vegetables he wanted for dinner. 

She didn’t notice Kylo coming back downstairs. If she had, she would have stopped her personal concert. Instead, she kept going, dancing around the kitchen and using her spatula as a microphone. Kylo sat at the dining room table, enjoying her embarrassing display. When she finally noticed his presence, she almost dropped the chicken she had just taken out of the stove. 

“Shit,” she shouted, “What the fuck?”

“Sorry,” he said, moving to the counter. 

“Wear a bell next time. How long have you been sitting there?” she questioned.

“Not long,” he replied, the first time saying more than one word to her. 

“Dinner’s ready. Would you like some?” his head already nodding a reply before she could finish her question. 

She turned down the music as she platted their dinners. Another first. He hadn’t eaten with her since they arrived. In less than two minutes, she had seen him do two things she had never known him to do. She wondered what else she could get out of him tonight. But, she wondered even more about what had happened that afternoon. Only forty minutes earlier, they had been awkward and back at square one. Yet, he was now sitting next to her as he ate the chicken she had cooked. 

They sat in silence as they ate. The music played, Rey’s foot bobbing along to the beat. After the awkwardness of the morning, she would have thought that dinner would have been just as weird; yet the silence between them was comforting. They were just two people eating dinner with some music. There was no need to discuss what happened at training and she was happy about that. She wouldn’t have been able to explain what had happened anyways. 

She was humming along to one of her favorite songs, the last bite of her dinner in her mouth, when she heard him ask a question. She was so stunned that he uttered more than two words to her, she had to ask him to repeat himself. She twirled towards him, so she wouldn’t miss it again.

“Do you always have music playing?” he asked, his eyes meeting hers. 

“Ummm, yeah I guess,” she replied, a hint of confusion in her voice. 

She got up to put her dish in the dishwasher. It was an odd question; first, he hadn’t asked her any questions before and secondly, because she couldn’t understand why he would ask that question in the first place. Don’t most people listen to music while they are doing chores? Everyone she knew always listened to music.

“Why do you ask? Don’t you just listen to music?” she asked him.

He got up to move around to where she stood. She still couldn’t get over how tall he was. The top of her head barely came to the bottom of his. 

“You always have music playing, and I guess I don’t,” he shrugged. 

As he said that, the music changed. Call it fate, call it destiny, or call it a coincidence; but the song that came on was perfect for the moment. It was Rey’s go to song. No matter what was happening in her life, when that song came in, she instantly felt better. It was also guaranteed that within thirty seconds, she would be dancing. He said he doesn’t really listen to music, and maybe she could get him to understand just how great music could be. 

“Dance with me,” she said as a loud _Woo_ came through the speakers. 

“Seriously?” Kylo stammered.

“Come on, it’s like a law. When _I Wanna Dance with Somebody_ comes on, you are required to dance,” Rey’s arms threw up as she began to dance. Her voice floated through the air as she sung along to Whitney. 

Kylo stood in the same spot, not moving. Rey reached out and picked up his hands, moving them to the beat. She spun around him, reaching up to move his shoulders. As the chorus hit, she yelled out the words, showing off her best 80’s dance moves. A large smile was plastered on her face and she was thankful to see that it was a little bit infectious. As the second verse started, she could see a small smile on Kylo’s face. 

She continued to dance around, every now and then touching him. There was an electricity that passed between them. Before this, the only time they touched was in training, and every touch was done with a purpose. Now, they were touching freely, without the pretense of working. These touches were different. 

Finally, as the second chorus set in, she had Kylo spinning her around, and while his body was stiff and his move minimal - she could tell he was having fun. His smile had grown. She couldn’t take her eyes of it, or him. The smile was a game changer. It shifted something between them. It was a shot to her heart. That smile, was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. She never wanted to go another day without seeing that smile. 

They continued to dance as Whitney’s voice sang out. Rey’s voice was even more powerful now that Kylo was dancing with her. She was ecstatic and never in a million years thought her night would end like this. He loosened up as the song continued. He wasn’t moving the way Rey was, but he was moving her a bit more than he was before. His feet were shuffling below him and his shoulders were swaying on beat. 

A final spin brought her to his chest just as the song ended. Another song came on quickly, but if someone asked Rey what the song was, she wouldn’t be able to tell them. All she could remember was how she felt against Kylo’s chest. Her breath hitched as one of his hands landed on her lower back. She started up into his eyes. 

What felt like hours was actually a matter of seconds; and before she knew what was happening, Kylo had let go of her and rushed up stairs muttering a good night. Rey stood gawking as he ran from the room. She wasn’t sure what had just happened, but she knew she wanted to dance with him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a soundtrack that goes along with this and it will be posted at the end of the story. So far, I am planning on writing around eleven chapters. Next chapter should be up by next weekend! Comments make me happy!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the love for the last chapter! Hope you enjoy this one too!

The smell that woke Rey from her dreams was heavenly. Bacon, coffee, and hints of sugar wafted through her closed door. She had never woken up in a happier mood. She let her body relax back into the bed, letting the smells drift over her like an extra comforter. However, just as quickly as she got comfortable, she bolted out of the bed. Who the hell was making breakfast? There was only one actual answer, but she couldn’t believe that Kylo Ren was grilling bacon and brewing coffee. She had only seen him drink his one cup of coffee every morning as he turned her down on an omelette. There were never any dishes to be done when she came back from her run. 

The rain had changed to snow overnight, and Rey’s body shivered in response to seeing the dusting on the ground. She wrapped herself up in a large shawl and put on her fuzzy socks. As she opened her bedroom door, the smells that had woken her bombarded her senses. She hadn’t noticed the hickory flavor to the bacon and the slight burn of the coffee. She wasn’t able to focus on the smells though, as she noticed Kylo’s bedroom door was opened. 

For the last four days, Kylo had kept his bedroom locked up tight. He never answered it when she knocked and he never left it open when he wasn’t in the room. Was it wrong for her to take a quick peek inside? It wasn’t like it was actually Kylo’s real bedroom. They were just temporary guests. The room was almost identical to hers, but his room faced the luscious green forest. It was spotless too, no suitcase sitting on the couch, no clothes on the floor. The bed was made and the lights were turned off. 

She had been hoping for something, anything, that would give her an insight into the man she had danced with the night before. 

She would be lying to herself if she said she hadn’t spent half the night dreaming of his hands on her body. The way his smile affected her also played on her mind. She couldn’t stop thinking about it. He had come out of his shell, even if it was for only a few minutes. The connection between them was stronger than it had ever been. All the anger she felt, all the annoyance and insecurities, melted away as she had spun around him. Even his eyes looked at her differently as the song had ended and she landed in his embrace. The feeling of her hands on his chest were teasing her, she wanted to feel it again. 

But then again, he ran from her. She had been left standing, jaw open and arms awkwardly outstretched as he disappeared upstairs. Did she push him too far? Had she stepped over the line? It was hard to tell with him. He hadn’t been mad when he left, she knew that much. His eyes didn’t show anger, but they did show anguish. He seemed to be in pain, or confusion. 

After all of that, why would he be making breakfast? Wouldn’t he be trying to avoid her? She knew if the roles were reversed, she would probably try to avoid him. Especially if she was feeling the way she had been feeling since their first training session. Maybe she should avoid him. Maybe she had made him feel uncomfortable. She didn’t really ask him to dance, forcing his hands to swing her around at first. She should have just let it be. She should have just answered his question, maybe start a conversation. But no, Rey had to make him feel uncomfortable. That’s why he ran, it had to be. 

She noticed as she walked down the stairs, that there was music playing. She stopped in her tracks. 

Everything had changed. She could feel it. There was something in the air.

Kylo was standing over the stove as Rey came into the kitchen. She moved in complete silence, wanting to watch him some more. He wasn’t acting like someone who was uncomfortable in the house. His hands were quick, moving between different items; flipping the bacon that Rey had smelled, whisking batter in a large bowl, cutting up fruit that he must have found in the fridge. His broad shoulders hid most of what was in front of him. 

They were different in their morning routines, that was clear. While Rey normally made a mess while baking, cleaning up once the food had been eaten; Kylo was clean - a rag hanging off his shoulder, mopping up any and all messes that he made. She would normally be dancing around to the music that played, singing along to the song; he was silent, but she did notice him tapping along to the beat if he had a minute of idle time. 

“Good Morning,” Rey whispered, loud enough to get his attention. 

He didn’t jump at her voice, didn’t whip around looking for the body of the voice. Instead, he turned with purpose, locking eyes with her. A small smile appeared on his face.

“Morning,” he replied a bit unsure of himself. The normal confidence that laced Kylo’s voice was gone. 

They stood there for another moment, with only the music playing between them. His eyes didn’t leave hers though. She noticed how this morning, they seemed brighter than normal. Normally, his eyes were dark and menacing. Today, they were alive with color. The hazel glowed in the kitchen light. They were beautiful, happy, and inviting. There was no anger in them, no confusion. 

“I made breakfast,” he broke the silence, motioning towards the counter. There were scrambled eggs, mixed berries, a few pieces of french toast, and the bacon that Kylo had just moved to the plate.

“Why?” she hadn’t meant for the question to come out with such animosity, but she just couldn’t understand why he was acting the way he was. She couldn’t say that she was having whiplash from the quick change of Kylo’s behavior, but it was close. Within a twelve hour period, things were different. Everything was different. 

Kylo reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. 

“I wanted to say sorry,” he mumbled, but Rey heard him and she was at a loss for words.

“I wanted to apologize for my behavior the last few days. You don’t deserve to be treated that way and we are in this together. So I wanted to say I’m sorry. You are always cooking, so I knew you liked food. What better way to say sorry than a nice breakfast?” he continued, his question lingering as she continued to stare at him.

She wasn’t sure what to say. She wasn’t sure how to act. Everything was changing and she didn’t know how she felt about it. It sucked to admit that she was getting used to broody Kylo Ren. She could predict him, she knew what to expect with him. She knew what she was getting with the moody ass hat she had come to somehow like. This new Kylo Ren, who was apologetic and a bit shy, made her dizzy. But, she knew she would be able to actually talk to this Kylo Ren. 

Yet, she also knew there was more that he wasn’t saying. There was no explanation to why he treated her the way he did. There was no reasoning why he was being a douche canoe to her. He kinda sucked at apologizing if she was being totally honest, but the guy probably never had to say he was sorry for anything in his privileged life. She wasn’t going to hold anything against him. She allowed him to get under her skin anyways. 

“I’m sorry too,” Rey finally answered, “I shouldn’t have ever punched you that day at the studio. There was no excuse for what I did. I was angry and lashed out, and I’m sorry. You’re right though, we are in this together. If we want to keep these roles, we need to work together and get along.”

They both sat down at the island after filling up their plates with food. Rey indulged herself, piling up her plate a bit higher than she should have. But, she had been working her ass off and she deserved one day to eat whatever the hell she wants. Besides, it didn’t look like she was going to go for a run today. She peeked behind her, and saw the icy waves crash against the snow that covered the sand. 

“Thanks, but I deserved it. I was a monster, I am a monster,” he sighed. 

Rey didn’t respond. How could she. What did he expect; either she had to agree that he was a monster, which she didn’t fully believe, or say that he wasn’t a monster, which she also didn’t fully believe. There was something dark inside Kylo Ren, something that clouded and blurred his consciousness. Rey had always believed that there was good in people, sometimes buried deep inside their souls, but they still had a sliver of good in them. She wanted to believe that he had good in him, especially since he made the effort to apologize to her, but she still knew that he had darkness surrounding him. 

The phone rang, pulling Rey from her thoughts. Kylo got up to answer before Rey could even set her fork down. She could hear Kylo talking low to the person on the line. She finished her last piece of bacon, feeling her stomach protesting the last bite, and moved to lay down on the couch. The food was amazing, the bacon burned just how she liked it, and the french toast had just the right amount of cinnamon. It was better than most brunches she had attended with Rose and the gang. The only thing that was missing was the bottomless mimosas, but she probably didn’t need to be drinking at seven AM on a Thursday morning. 

“That was Elias, he said the snow is heavier up the island and he won’t be able to make it in today. He wants us to practice the routine through the counts we learned yesterday. We are to film it and send it to him before we go to bed tonight. He also told us we need to make sure that whatever was affecting us yesterday is gone,” Kylo explained, holding up the phone. 

“Alright,” Rey said, not opening her eyes. She was full and didn’t even want to think about moving for the next hour, maybe two. She was pretty sure she ate more than she did on Thanksgiving. If she was wearing jeans, she would certainly have to unbutton them. She began to rub her stomach. 

She didn’t remember much from her childhood, especially before she was put into foster care, but she does remember her mother rubbing her stomach when she had a tummy ache. She was overcome with emotions when her adoptive mother began to rub her stomach one night when Rey had gotten food poisoning from the school’s cafeteria. 

She heard Kylo take a seat on one of the recliners nearby. A comfortable silence fell over the room. She swore if she listened hard enough, she could hear the snow hitting the ground. She had never really been in snow before - not like this. Before she got adopted, none of the families she stayed with ever went on vacations, so she was always surrounded by the desert. After the Kenobis came into her life, they started to take vacations, but never anywhere with snow. She had finally seen flurries and snow when she went on vacation with Rose and Paige their junior year. It was Spring Break, and her parents were on a special cruise to celebrate an anniversary, so Rey joined her friends. They had grown up at Lake Arrowhead and the town had been hit with a very late snow shower. It wasn’t enough to cause much of anything other than a small dusting, but Rey wanted to spend as much time in it as she could. 

It was one of the things she was looking forward to shooting the most. The first scenes they would be shooting were going to be shot in Iceland, and she couldn’t wait to be somewhere where the snow stuck. Sure, it was going to be almost ten below zero and the days lasted only a few hours, but she would be surrounded by the snow. 

She peeked open an eye. Kylo was actually lounging on the chair near the window. His script was open and he was twirling a pencil in his right hand. She had never seen him so relaxed. His back was rounded and his hair covered his face. One of his long legs was actually laying over the arm of the chair, the other pulled up into his lap. It looked like such an uncomfortable position, but it made Rey smile. 

He was letting himself relax around her. It was another step for them. Before last night, he would have walked away from breakfast before she had a chance to say a word; if he even made or ate breakfast at all. He would have never spoken to her and there was no way in hell that he would have even spent more time in a room with her than necessary. 

Rey’s eye fluttered shut again. She let her mind wander. Her stunt last night must have not made him as uncomfortable as she thought. Maybe it actually worked. Maybe being herself, her true self, was really getting to him. Could he see that she was just someone trying to fulfill her dreams? Could he tell that she was insecure about everything? Could he see that she was starting to think about how attractive he was? She thought about it way more than she should have. It was the last thing she needed. She didn’t need to get involved with a co-star. It was more drama than she could stand. Besides, it wasn’t like he was thinking of her that way. There was no way. 

She shook her head against the couch. Her thoughts were betraying her. Yes, Kylo Ren was attractive - anyone with a brain could see that. He walked around with a strut that made him a bad boy that attracted even the nicest of girls. And yes, things between them were better. There was no more avoidance and no more anger. But, he was still Kylo Ren. He was still someone with a dark side. He was still someone she needed to work with for years to come, hopefully. 

It felt like she laid on the couch for hours, but when Rey finally sat up and glanced at the clock on the stove, she saw she had only been resting for about forty minutes. Her stomach wasn’t as full anymore and she was finally ready to conquer the day. 

“I’m gonna go for a run,” she said unceremoniously. 

“In this weather?” Kylo asked. Rey was surprised to hear the concern in his voice.

“Of course, I’ve always wanted to get hypothermia,” the sarcasm dripped from her lips. She could have sworn he laughed a bit at the reply. 

“Would you mind some company?” he asked, standing up.

“Sure,” she shrugged. 

Five minutes later, as she was stretching near the elliptical. Kylo came in with a strut similar to the one she had seen the first day she met him. Except this time, there was a spring in his step and a smile on his face. 

* * *

Before Rey knew it, the day had passed and there was close to three inches of snow on the ground. She had made a quick glance on her phone that told her that they were expected to get another two to five inches overnight with wind of up to sixty knots. Her windows rattled as she readied herself for bed. 

After their workout, Rey had hid in her shower for way longer than she should have. She was embarrassed that she spent at least half of the time she was on the elliptical staring at Kylo’s muscles as they strained and moved as he worked on the free weight machine. As each moment passed, she found herself more and more attracted to him, despite her best attempts to rid herself of those feelings. But, seeing him workout, sweat dripping down his body, his hair sticking to his neck and forehead was making it hard. 

After her shower, she debated going back downstairs. She didn’t want to avoid him, not after things were starting to be normal between them. But, she also didn’t think that she would be able to hide her growing attraction. 

They ate leftovers on opposite ends of the living room, the TV that had been placed above the fireplace had finally been turned on.  _ The Office _ was playing in the background, just loud enough to fill the empty air. They didn’t speak. There wasn’t much to say. Well, there was plenty that Rey wanted to say, to ask; but she decided against it. She didn’t want to push him too hard too fast. After lunch, they went their separate ways. Kylo went back upstairs, but this time his door didn’t close. Rey lounged downstairs, curled up in the nook in the library, half watching the snowfall, half reading through her script.

So, there she was again, her emotions swinging back and forth like a pendulum. One minute she wanted nothing more than to get to know Kylo Ren better, to find out what made him tick. Next, she wanted to run scared. She knew there were issues that were embedded into Kylo’s soul, issues and demons that she didn’t want to even begin to deal with. Half the time she was still mad at him for the way he acted and the other half she was willing to forgive him for everything. She knew they had chemistry, their scene together was a testament to that, but was it more? Was there something more between them? Could there be? That was what Rey’s brain had been wrapped around for the better part of the day. 

She had been in a complete haze as she made dinner. There wasn’t much left in the house and Rey wasn’t about to go out in this weather. She was thankful she had picked up the frozen pizza that she found in the store. As they ate in a similar fashion to lunch, she couldn’t help but wonder if Kylo saw the same things about her that she wondered about him. Did he want to get to know her at all? Did he feel something between them?

As the thoughts circled in her head, she fell asleep in her comfortable bed, wishing to feel the touch of his hand again. 

* * *

Rey woke with a start. There was something not right. She was freezing, yet she was buried underneath her comforter and had worn her flannels to sleep. As she turned to look at the clock on the nightstand, she realized what was wrong. The power was out. It was too quiet without the hum of the electronics. Rey hadn’t noticed just how loud they were before.

She climbed out of bed, shivering against the colder air, immediately regretting the dumb idea that she had. At least she had the right sense to put on her thick fuzzy socks before walking over to the closet to get the UCLA sweatshirt she had packed. She loved the faded and worn fabric - it was the first thing she had gotten when she arrived at school and realized that sometimes California mornings could be a bit chilly. Yet, she still wasn’t warm enough. 

The door across from hers was wide open.

“Kylo?” she half whispered, even though she didn’t quite know why. If the door was open, he had to be up, so why was she whispering. 

The house was eerie. There was no light except the light from her phone. She felt like she had woken up to a horror movie and was going to be stabbed by a masked murderer who broke into her house after cutting the power. There were no shadows though, nothing lurking in the darkness. 

“Down here Rey,” she heard him call from the living room. 

He was by the fireplace, piling up logs on the hearth. He was bundled up like her, except his socks weren’t fuzzy and his sweatshirt wasn’t as worn and loved. He was of course dressed all in black. The light from the fire casted a soft glow on his skin, his chiseled jaw prominent. She could already feel the warmth of the fire from the landing she had paused on. The smell of firewood filled Rey’s senses and it was like she was instantly transported back to summer camp, minus the humid air and sandy beach.

“We must have had the same idea,” she finally said, moving to sit on the couch, “how long has it been out?”

“Not long, I was up reading when it went out. I came down about ten minutes ago when it didn’t turn back on,” he explained, placing the last log on the stack. 

She pulled her knees against her chest, placing her feet under her. Kylo picked up a blanket that laid on the chair near the fire and placed it over her before sitting down. It was the closet he had been. Normally there were at least two person sized spaces between them; but now, if she wanted to, she could move barely inches and touch him. She was suddenly quite warm, a pink hue forming on her cheeks. 

They sat in silence for a while. The crackling of the fire keeps them company. Rey wasn’t tired anymore. How could she be when Kylo’s presence was setting her skin on fire. She didn’t think she would need the blanket in a few moments. 

“Tired?” he asked, like he could read her thoughts. 

“No actually,” she replied.

Again, silence fell. It was like they worked better when there was nothing to say. It was when they opened their mouths and were forced to speak their own words that things between them became weird. They worked well with words written by others. They worked well in training. But conversation - both of them were lacking. Rey couldn’t understand why though. It wasn’t like they were raised by wolves or had never been in a social situation. With her friends, producers, even strangers, Rey was friendly. She knew how to carry on a conversation. However, when it came to having a conversation with Kylo Ren, she fell flat, and it certainly wasn’t for a lack of trying either. She probably should try again now, but she was content. 

“Rey, I’m sorry, again,” he started, turning his body to face her.

“Stop,” she said, her hand flying out of the blanket, coming to rest on his arm that was draped across the couch, “Just stop. If you are really sorry, stop apologizing and do something about it.”

“Alright,” he conceded, “how do you recommend I go about that?”

Rey laughed at the question, “Ah, so it’s you who needs a teacher now, is it?” 

She couldn’t help herself. She knew she should bait him, not yet. They weren’t really friends. Yet, the itch to call back some of his first words to her was too good to resist. Besides, what was the worst that could happen? He hadn’t responded to any of her normal behavior, so maybe something that was reserved for her closest friends would pull him in. Rose said that Rey had a sharp tongue when she wanted to have one. 

Kylo laughed. He actually laughed, a real smile forming on his face. The laugh was deep, the sound music to her ears. She had never heard something more wonderful in her life. It was proof that he was actually a real person, and someone she could get to know. It was a shift in him. Sure, the previous night shifted something in him, broke through whatever walls he was hiding behind. The breakfast that morning and the time they had spent together had them falling to the ground. But the laugh, that beautiful laugh, was Kylo stepping out from the rubble into the light of day. 

She was stunned by his smile. It was like he was a different person. There was a confidence in the smile. It was the complete opposite of the confidence that Kylo Ren normally exuded. The confidence she had been used to was obnoxious, rude, unnecessary. This confidence was welcoming, warm, and sweet. This new confidence was beautiful. In fact, it made him even more handsome. It was if he transformed before her very eyes. Suddenly she was wanting to pull him to her, to feel his lips against hers. 

“Maybe I do,” his voice broke her from her betraying thoughts, “I’m sure this comes as no surprise to you, but I don’t have friends.”

She joined in on the laughter now. 

“So you are really asking me how to fix your bad behavior?” she smiled as she shook her head in disbelief. 

“In a way,” he conceded. 

“Alright… Well for starters, we should probably get to know each other. That’s really the biggest issue at hand. We have a week to prove to the studio that we can make this work. We obviously work well together in training, but that will only get us so far. We  _ have  _ to prove that we can like each other,” she explained. 

“And how do you recommend we go about doing that?” he questioned. 

She pondered for a moment. The fire crackling in the background spurred another memory. Summer camp came flashing back again. This time though, she remembered the cabin she stayed in. It was the first summer she was with the Kenobis. They had both gone to the same camp growing up and they wanted Rey to experience it too. They allowed her to decide if she wanted to go or not, not wanting her to think they were sending her away. 

What made her decide she was going to go was hearing their stories of the camp. It was tucked away in the mountains of Maine. The pictures of smiling faces and pristine forests made her long to see them for herself. She was glad she did. It was there that she learned how to sail, how to climb a tree, but most importantly, she learned she had a family who loved her. The Kenobis wrote her daily. At mail call, she always had a box waiting. They love and happiness in their voices when she called made her cry. They missed her, wanted her home, but also knew how much fun she was having and how much she would grow because of the experience. 

She remembered the first night in the cabin. Six girls, including herself, were assigned to the Naboo - the cabin overlooking the lake, at the very end of the path. Four bunks were set up, with large open cubbies for their items. She had slept above a girl named Evangeline who was from Florida. That night, their counselor, a college aged girl from Michigan, had them play a game to get to know each other. 

“We could play twenty questions,” she offered.

“Isn’t that a guessing game?” Kylo asked, intrigued. 

“Yes, but it’s also a getting to know you game I played at camp,” she began to explain, “we each get to ask twenty questions, you can pass on answering, but if you do, you forfeit a question.”

“Alright; do you want to start?” he offered. 

“Sure, let’s play,” she smiled. 

The questions started off simple enough: favorite colors, favorite foods, best friend’s name. Soon, they were both ten questions in and Rey’s eyes were starting to droop. She didn’t want to fall asleep though, enjoying learning about Kylo Ren. He didn’t answer her in short monotoned responses. Instead, he was charismatic and animated. When she asked him what his favorite food was, he spent at least fifteen minutes telling her about the best meal he had ever eaten when he was on set in Japan filming the sequel to his first action movie. The way he described the scents and tastes made Rey feel like she was actually there. If acting didn’t work out for him, he could easily be a writer. 

She was absolutely in adoration of this new Kylo Ren she was seeing. His smile never left his face. She listened intently to every word that left his lips. Rey’s head was resting against the back of the couch. If he wanted, Kylo could simply bend his arm and wrap her hair in his fingers. She wishes he would. He didn’t move when their knees touched. 

“Tell me about your childhood.” he asked next. 

The fire in front of them was starting to get low. The flames were not as high as they had been a few hours before. Darkness began to envelope them again.

“That’s not a question Ren,” Rey yawned. 

“Alright, when someone asks you about your childhood, what is the first memory that comes to mind?” he clarified.

She had to think about it for a minute. 

“My childhood wasn’t the best. My parents, my birth parents, took off when I was five. They had dropped me off at my school that morning and just vanished. The police picked me up after the school couldn’t reach anyone for two hours. I remember my teacher was very nice and told me everything was going to be OK. I was placed in a foster home that night: a nice older couple who were emergency parents. After that I bounced around foster homes in Arizona till I was eleven. I met the Kenobis that summer. They adopted me a year later. They got me involved in theater to try to help me adjust to everything I got my start in  _ The Music Man Jr _ . From the opening night, I knew I wanted to act for a living. I did so many plays and musicals, I lost count. I remember, opening night, looking out at the crowd. I had only been with the Kenobis for about six months. I was petrified that they wouldn’t show up. They were only my foster parents after all, not my real family. Yet, there they were, in the front row. My mom was holding a giant sign with my name on it - like she was at a concert. My dad had a video camera set up, blocking the view of a few other parents. Even their parents were there. It was the best moment of my life,” tears were welling up in her eyes as she remembered that night. 

After the show ended, her parents met her at the cast entrance with two bouquets of flowers; one of red roses and the other of purple and blue wildflowers. They took close to one hundred pictures, her grandfather had to switch out his film more than a few times. She giggled as she remembered how he refused to go digital, saying the best pictures were made by film. They had one of those pictures, the one with her and her parents, hanging up in their living room. 

“What about you? What memory comes to mind first when you think about your childhood?” she asked.

“I grew up in a city called Chandrila. It’s a small little town tucked back in the mountains of California. My mom and dad wanted me to grow up out of the spotlight,” he started, but before Rey could hear the rest of the story, she succumbed to the darkness and pull of sleep. 

When she woke the next morning, the power was back on, but the fire roared in the hearth. She was no longer sitting up, but fully stretched out on the couch. Her head was propped up on something, but it wasn’t a pillow. A hand rested on her shoulder and a blanket was draped across her body. She didn’t move too quickly, but opened one eye to take in her surroundings. Sometime in the middle of the night, she had moved her head to Kylo Ren’s lap - and it was the most comfortable sleep she had ever had. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you all think? Do you want to know more about the questions they asked? I may have a special epilogue planned for that!


End file.
